Published 5:54 am, Wednesday, September 5, 2012

A long time resident and business woman in the Clear Lake area, her restaurant Webb’s Cove was known for exceptional seafood skillets and a party atmosphere.

Born in Madison, Wisc., Feb. 15, 1922, to William and Pauline (Silverman) Sinaiko, she was the fifth of six daughters. She grew into a creative, hard-working, fun-loving, and competitive person, who always pushed herself and others to do their best. Lois attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison where she majored in art. During WWII, she was an engineering draftsman for Navy Hydrographics in Washington, D.C., designing maps for the war effort while gaining an appreciation of the art of map making and a curiosity about the world.

She and her husband Burt Rosenberg (1943 - 1964) moved to Milwaukee, where they raised two children, Jo Ann (Josie Wilson) and Richard. She channeled her creativity and tremendous energy into a career in interior design, first through hand-painted wall décor, a drapery business, and then Lois Rosenberg Interiors. Her design work was well received in homes, businesses, and public spaces (Milwaukee Public Library, hospitals). She received numerous accolades and won the American Institute of Interior Designers Award for Wall Covering in 1962. She was a member of the American Institute of Decorators and was recognized by Who’s Who of American Women.

In 1969 she moved to the Clear Lake area as home-fashion coordinator for Montgomery Ward of Houston. With her second husband Preston Webb (1969 - 1976) she turned a small bar into the acclaimed restaurant Webb’s Cove, where many praised her signature dishes, diverse menu and creative presentation. Bon Appetite Magazine published her Chocolate Cheesecake recipe in 1979 and The Houston Chronicle published her recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques in 2005, 20 years after Webb’s Cove closed. Lois was married to Howard (Stoney) Thombs from 1978 - 1982.

After closing Webb’s Cove, she worked with the Camera family who own two long-term establishments in the area: Frenchie’s Italian Cuisine and Villa Capri on Clear Lake. As the catering coordinator for 20 years, she developed menus and organized parties ranging from intimate dinners for four to corporate parties for 2,000.

Her flair for design and organization brought uniqueness to any gathering. Perhaps most important for Lois, she found a dear friendship with Frank Camera and became part of the extended Camera family.

In 1996, she was accepted for professional membership in the Chaine des Rotisseurs, the world’s oldest international gastronomic society. She was also active in the Houston chapter of Professionals in Culinary Arts and worked to develop scholarships and educational programs.

In the mid- 1990s, she began her third career as a cookbook writer. With Carole Lisa Albyn she wrote The Multicultural Cookbook for Students (1993) and followed this success with Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students (1995) and Multicultural Cookbook of Life-cycle Celebrations (2000). All three books are aimed at school-age children who are learning about world cultures through food. The books, published by Oryx Press, are recognized as valuable resources for the classroom. She and co-author Lindsay Grace Roten began updating and revising these works into second editions. Multicultural Cookbook for Students (2009) and Holidays of the World for Students (2011) were published and distributed by Greenwood Press. She and Lindsay were half way to completion of the third book at the time of Lois’ death.

Lois took an active interest in the success of others, frequently serving as mentor and role model for young women and men. She believed passionately in the power of education, hard work, and creativity. She was always coming up with new ideas and encouraging others to live out their dreams to make a better life.

She was a party girl with a terrific sense of humor. For many years she hosted a Sunday brunch where friends came for lox and bagels. More recently, her condo at the Point on Egret Bay became the focus for Tuesday wine night, a weekly gathering of friends and neighbors to share good cheer, stories, and snacks. Her sense of humor was legendary; she knew more jokes than just about anybody and delighted in seeing the funny in any situation.

Because Lois decided to donate her tissues for medical research (She wanted to go to medical school and figured that this would be her last chance!), the family plans a Celebration of Life gathering on Oct 28, 3 to 6 p.m., at Villa Capri, 3713 NASA Parkway, Seabrook.